Omaha daily bee., 1887-01-02
When Not to Marry.


Chicago Times: The proper age AT
which to marry has long been vexed
question with social philosophers. Hor-
ace Greeley advised young men to marry
early and go wcst.n Other authorities.
almost us distinguished, have given con.
trary advice. On both sides of the qucs-
ton there has been no lnck of pertinent
illustrations drawn from real life to sup.
port the position taken for or against
early marriages. OF beardless youths
and silly school girls who have married
in haste to repent ut leisure" their name
is legion. And yet the record of con
nubial misery endured by those who have
deferred matrimonial ventures until the
"heydey of the blood is tame is an an
pa!ling one. The adage that there is no
fool like an old fool is verified every
day in the divorce courts. Wldowers
and widows, both genuine and grass"
who are old enough and who have had
experience enough 10 know BETTER"
are constantly plungng anew into the
sea of wcdlock from which death or the
lay has released them, with the blndest
disregard OF the risks and perils involved.
The survivor OF Il couple of wives is, as n
rule, the vcricst gudgeon that exposes
himself to the matrimonial market.
Widows are proverbially the most sus.
ceptlble OF their sex, and the easiest prey
for fortune tcllers and adventures. No
satisfactory explanations of these phc
nOmena has ever been presented but of
course they must be refcrable to some
natural law, whose operations, We're they
UNDERSTOOD might perhaps account for
much beside Of human folly that now
puzzles mankind 5 poor wits so Sorcly.
Doubtless, if accurate data were acces-
sible, it would be found that the proper
ton OF unhappy to happy marriages does
not vary so greatly between those con
tracted early in life and those that are
formed IN maturcr years. There are no
statistics in the cCnsus reports or other
official publications upon this important
matter, and hence conclusions must be
drawn from observation and from the
testimony given by those whose expert
cnce has qualified them to throw light
upon the subject. TO persons contemplate
ing marriagc-who must always cOnsti-
tute a very large element OF The popula-
tion-thc question Is one of vital interest.
For their benefit the Times reproduces
from western journal the pathetic test-
mony OF young man who eVIdcntiY
speaks from the bottom of his heart"
He says:
"The simple subject of love and not so
simple either when properly sluged, and
| think ! have put in seven yong years as
faithful as any one ever did at the age of
Is years | thought | loved a girl, age II,
light halr and blue eyes. We were mar
ried in 1879 ld since we have found out
our sad mistake, one child age five years,
here is three lives made unhappy by II
Young marriage. / am well known in
the city, but will not give my name at
present, but merely advise young folk TO
be careful and save trouble, for | have
had my share OF it. | find that age 20
years is young enough TO marry and live
happy"
Here, indeed, is frightful example for
the behoof of lads of IS who may be la
boring under the deluSion that they love
girl ''of II, light hair ana blue eyes"
For it is a deluslon as they will surely
discover in time. Whether the awaken
ing comes sooner or later depends upon
circumstances. If their hallucnatiOn re
suits in marriage it will probably come
sooner. If not, it will come later. Ii
their paths in life diyerge it may be de
layed until the present object OF their
affections, "fat, fair and forty" once
more crosses their steps. Then, at least,
there will be as little left of their romantic
fancies as of the vision of loveliness that
first inspired them.
The conclusion of the western youth
that the age, of % is young enough to
marry and live happy" is probably, on
the whole, a sensible one Doubtless in
this, as in other important affairs of life,
it is best to avoid extremes. Boys and
girls certainly should not marry, and
neither, as a rule, should old men and
women. To vast multitudes of others,
Punch's advice, Don't" is the very
essence of practical wisdom, which it
would conduce TO their own happiness
follow. Until the world adopts Hamlets S
suggestion, however, and determines to
have mo more marriages" this wise
counsel, we may be sure, will be iguored
by those to whom it is most applicable,
old, young and middle-aged, alike, and
social philosophers will find communal
misery, like poverty and crime, an insol-